As computing systems have increased in capability, decreased in size, and increased in portability, various methods and devices have been developed which allow a user of a computing system, and/or a software application implemented on the computing system, to interface with the computing system and/or software with minimal physical input from the user. Minimization of physical input from the user is particularly advantageous in mobile computing systems, such as laptop systems, handheld systems, PDAs and mobile telephone systems, and commercial computing systems, such as computing systems used for conducting commercial transactions at wholesale and/or retail establishments.
Currently, one device that is often used to minimize physical user input, and to minimize the number of display pages or screenshots the user is required to interact with, is the “tooltip” or “screenTip”. A tooltip is a common graphical user interface (GUI) element that typically takes the form of a small box or display window, often having a yellow or gold fill color, which appears near a selected item on a display screen when a user hovers a cursor, typically controlled by a mouse, over the item. Once activated, a tooltip typically shows a more detailed description, information, or an attribute, associated with the selected item. A tooltip typically minimizes physical user input by appearing automatically, without requiring the user to perform another physical action such as clicking a mouse. In addition, use of a tooltip allows multiple layers of content to be displayed in a single display screen without the need for jumping between display screens or web pages.
Currently, tooltips are commonly used in a wide range of programs including various computing system implemented financial management systems such as: computing system implemented business financial management systems; computing system implemented sales and inventory tracking systems; computing system implemented tax preparation systems; computing system implemented business accounting systems; and computing system implemented medical expense management systems; as well as various other electronic transaction data driven financial management systems. Tooltips are also commonly used in conjunction with other software applications, operating systems and Web browsers.
The list of possible uses for tooltips is virtually endless and includes use with any item where a more detailed description of the item, or its attributes, information, or equivalents, is helpful. For instance, in the context of the business financial management system, a display item might typically include an inventory item. In this instance, when a cursor is hovered over the display representation of the inventory item a tooltip may appear that shows, as an example, any or the following: the amount of the item in common units associated with the item; the cost of the item; the sale price of the item; various colors or styles of the item available; how long the item has been in inventory; how many of the units of the item are in inventory; or virtually any other attribute associated with the item, such as a general description of the item, an average cost of an item, a first-in/first-out cost of an item, and a last-in/first-out cost of an item.
Currently, tooltips are provided by the developers of hardware systems, software systems and web pages as relatively static elements that, once created, are typically not easily editable or customizable by the user. Consequently, the description, information, or attribute of an item that is displayed via the tooltip is the description, information, or attribute that the creator of the tooltip felt most users would require at the time of creation. Of course, this means that many descriptions, information, and attributes displayed by current tooltips are irrelevant to, or at least of lesser importance to, some users. However, since currently the tooltip content cannot be easily changed or edited by the user, the user is often forced to accept the tooltip as provided, whether helpful or not.